Trekking Day 8

10/29/2011
Jinhu

Today I took it really easy, walking only 1.5-2 hours downhill to Jinhu, which is near some natural hot springs. oooh, it was so nice to sit and soak in the warm water! I had to wear my T-shirt and pants while swimming, as it is not culturally appropriate for women to show much skin. I found it funny that all the men went swimming in their underwear, though!

I have my own room this time, and as I write I am looking out through white and pink floral curtains onto a misty jungle hillside, lush with greenery. Today I had fried potatoes with yak cheese for lunch. Along with ketchup and green chili sauce...YUM! They sure do know how to serve up the carbs in these trekking towns. I'll try some eggs for dinner to have some protein.

Anyway, enough about my diet--things are going great, I'm happy, content, and pleased with how my trip is going so far. Last night was "Super Diwali" - the last night of the four-day festival called Tihar in Nepal, Diwali in India. Day 1 honors the dogs, day 2 honors the crows, day 3 honors the buffalo (water buffalo I think - black and big with curved horns), and day 4 honors the relationship between brother and sister. There was quite a party outside my guesthouse - mostly the young porters & guides clapping their hands and shakin' it up to some Bollywood music. I even danced a bit myself. I found it quite funny to speak with one particular drunken Nepali guide - he already had the whole Nepali/Hindi accent and side-to-side head wobble going on, and now his speech was slurred and he stumbled to and fro! It was all good fun.

Much Love!
Melissa